The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season is in major doubt due to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage in the country. The schedule for the 19th edition of the world's richest cricket league is yet to be announced, but the season is set to start on 28th March, which is less than three weeks away.
The West Asia conflict has led to a crisis over energy reserves in the country due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipments to India. On Tuesday (March 10), the Government of India invoked the Essential Commodities Act, which means that supplies of natural gas to certain sectors will be prioritized.
This has led to hotels warning that they might need to shut down. Restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai have claimed in the last few days that they have a shortage of LPG. This is the reason behind the IPL facing a threat, as the 10 teams will be staying in various hotels around India over the next two months.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hinted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might be forced to take a call if the issue does not resolve in the next few days. Dhumal claimed that the Indian cricket governing body is monitoring the situation.
"Definitely, it's a challenge. But we haven't got anything yet from hotels as of now. In case there is an issue and they tell us, then we'll review it accordingly. The thing is, in case we would have gone for a booking, they would have told us. But they have to come back with us if this is an issue. So, we haven't heard anything from them. Currently we are hearing it from the media, but we are reviewing and watching the situation from our end and we'll take a call accordingly,” Dhumal said in an interaction with IANS.
Another issue persists over travel and the player's arrival. Due to the restrictions on air travel over the Gulf countries, air travel has been majorly affected. In fact, the West Indies and South African cricket teams are still stranded in India days after their T20 World Cup exit.
Meanwhile, the league's schedule has not been announced, as the BCCI are awaiting the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s announcement on the dates of the state elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam.
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Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with four years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb...View More
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